Splatoon: The Imperial League
by TheNitroBandit
Summary: A pro Turf War Battler hits the legendary X Rank, where she believes her 'career' has hit its peak. However, her career has just begun. Follow the adventures of an Inkling as she goes through one of the world's biggest leagues! Rate T for (Mostly) Action, Romance and other stuff.
1. Ch 1

**A/N: Heya, it's-a me, Nitro!**

 **This idea came to me in a flash and I wanted to put it down before the story left my head. So what if, there was an Elite Turf War League where not just Inklings, but Octolings can participate. It definitely won't be your average league.**

 **Every story has a main character right? Of course, this would be an OC. Sure, loveable characters like Marin and Pearl, the Squid Sisters, and the two current Agents besides them can make an appearance, but the plot won't be centred around them.**

 **There will be splats, there will be conflict and there will be some romance. So grab your switch and Marina waifu pillow and get ready for a story!**

 **Splatoon - The Imperial League**

Ah yes, Inkopolis. Home to millions of sea creatures ranging from the short jellyfish to the intelligent, human-like squids known as Inklings. Everyday, there was always something exciting or interesting in the large city. One area, being blocked off by a construction company that was working on some building or whatever, was home to the largest hub for squid teens, tweens and anyone fresh enough to hang with them: Inkopolis Square.

Everything from clothing to weapons was found there. And what were these weapons sold for? Why, for everyone's favourite sport derived from a horrific hundred year long war. Turf Wars!

Yes, Turf Wars, was a three minute match where two team consisting of four Inklings battled it out for turf. Using ink-dispersing weapons (Ink coming from their tanks as well ink sacs internally), they covered the ground and tried to take out the opponents with their ink. At the end of the match, whichever team had the most ground coverage was the winner. The ink colour was one different colour for each team, to make it easier for the judge to well...judge

However, four other kinds of battles were invented to keep the sport of shooting ink at others fresh. Rank systems and leagues were established by the Squid Board Association or SBA, who are in charge of the running system and upholding the rules.

However, knowing that you're are reading this, you must have some knowledge of how things work. However before we dive into the story, there are a few things you should know.

-x-

After the Zapfish had been stolen again and returned to its home...again, a brand as illusive yet searched for on social media as Cuttlegear has returned to the spotlight: Monarch.

Monarch Industries has been around just as long as Cuttlegear. They had sold weapon no longer available to the public towards the squids fighting in a war derived from the Great Turf War several years ago. In fact, their founder and CEO of the company, Poseidon Monarch, was part of a Squidbeak Splatoon made by a middle-aged Cuttlefish to defeat the Octarians last threatening army in what was called the Bio-Tech War.

Monarch Industries was not just a weapons company, but they had the most impressive ann futuristic technology that even the ancient human couldn't have achieved. They had helped with Inkopolis infrastructure and build a few 'maps' for the kids and squids who played Turf.

Yep, things were going well for Inkopolis and its citizens. There was nothing bad happening nor was the Great Zapfish under the threat of being stolen anymore, due to the Octarian leader being trapped in a snow globe.

The sun would slowly rise from the horizon as the sunlight shined over the tall buildings of the large city. Some got up from their beds as the light shined through their window to wake them up. Others ignored the light and continued sleeping.

Well, one Inkling wouldn't get that privilege...

-x-

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

A low, groan could be heard in the room of a two-story apartment. A red tentacle haired Inkling got out of her bed and stretched her arms before tying her hair into pony-tail with a similar fashion to how some boys tie their tentacles into a high ponytail.

The Inkling then then began to dress herself into a black, high collar jacket. Similar to one another Inkling wore with a green vest.

Of course, this was what she didn't wear when she hadn't earned so much money in Turf Wars. This jacket cost her a LOT of coins, and it was extremely hard to find. Luckily someone was able to craft a replica from the illusive Cuttlegear brand, but it lacked the green vest. Because it was so one of a kind, she decided to throw some extra coins for a red strips running along the zip line down to the edges of the jacket.

Not to mention something like this gave her amazing perks.

"Ok, that's enough thinking to myself." She said, shaking her head as she put on some matching-colour sneakers before looking at the mirror in her bedroom. It was time for a her daily self-motivation.

"You can do this. You can do this. You got two teams, eight squids. Either you get a good team or a bunch of idiots. But on the safe side, always play like you're carrying them." The Inkling repeated words from someone dear to her. Someone she had not appreciated enough and lost too soon.

Now was not the time to think about him, not now.

There was a huge buzz today. The SBA arranged a tournament to commemorate a newest rank to the ranking system, and what some say the hardest rank to achieve: Rank X

And let's just say while she was excited to play in the tournament and possibly win. She also dreaded it. She knew that this was a her last tournament. SBA's rules state that only Inkling below 18 could play Turf War. She was 17 now, and it was almost November. Her birthday is in January and you know what that means...

Bye-bye, Turfing and Shooting. Bye-bye, Splatfests. Bye-bye fun.

While it was lucky for her to live alone, the Inkling knew it would be only a matter of time before she had to get a job. Her father didn't really care, since he knew she was raking in some coins with her battling but her worried mother bugged her every year after 15 to get an 'easy job' like waitress. She feared her daughter wouldn't get a steady cash flow by just doing 'silly Turf Wars' all day.

Well you can't tell me what to do mom! I'm grown enough to do what I want!

Maybe that was her rebel-teenager side speaking but older she got, the more mature she became and realized that living on Turf Wars wasn't going to last forever. She would need to start looking for a job after this.

"*Sigh* Looks like I did that self-motivation for nothing." The Inkling muttered to herself. She pulled at a drawer and took out her trusty weapon: The N-Zap '85. While she did use an '89 from time to time, she mostly used the original gray long barrel handgun. It had fast rate of fire, little ink consumption and a decent sub weapon.

Ink Armour was relatively a spammer Special for her. It filled her tank in a sticky situation and allowed her to take a few extra hits before taking her opponents out.

Without saying a word, she grabbed her weapon and walked out of her room. The Inkling grabbed a quick bite to eat before leaving her apartment in a hurry. If she was fast, she could get a few practice runs on the map they're using for the tournament before they start.

-x-

As the Inkling arrived at the Tower, an orange tenta-haired Inkling spotted her. "Hi, Ruby!" She greeted, excitedly.

Ruby sighed. She knew Clement's would show up to watch her battle. She was one of her friends who the Inkling grew up with when they were only squids. Clem was good at Turf Wars, but not as competitive as she was. So, the Orange Inkling would always cheer her on whenever she went for a another S+ Rank.

And while Ruby didn't say it, she really liked her friend cheering her on. It gave her that extra support, even when she didn't really need it.

"Hey Clem, what's up?" The Inkling greeted back

"Oh I'm just excited your going to be in the X Tournament! I just know you're going to knock 'em down and win!". Excited as always, that was her friend Clements. Sure wish she was excited as well.

This was basically her last big Tournament. But in order to not ruin the mood, she kept a smile.

"Thanks Clem, I know you're always cheering me on. I'm going to train for a few hours. See you later." And with that, she walked towards the automatic doors of the Deco Tower and prepared herself by doing some reckon on the suggested levels for the Tournament.

What she wouldn't know, was that making the decision to do some prep before the tournament was not only going to pay off, but change her life forever by opening up a brand new opportunity...

...For the biggest league in all of Turf War history.

 **A/N: I think I'm going to end it here. I got much more to add to this but I think this is a good place to stop and wait for a review or two before a I drop another chapter (or not and I drop a chapter anyway -_-)**

 **But now we know the first two character of this story: Ruby and Clements. We also know a bit of history on a certain company which would be a recurring aspect in later chapters.**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of my first Platoon fancy! (And that's a first!)**

 **So, don't get cooked...**

 **Stay Fresh!**


	2. Ch 2

**A/N: TheNitrobandit is back with the second chapter of Splatoon: The Imperial League! Now that Ruby has entered the Tournament she has prepared herself for? What happens now?**

The large screen sitting on the Deco Tower of Inkopolis Square lit up as the nearly hourly news broadcast was about to start. This was the news everyone in the Square has been waiting for...

"Y'all know what time it is!"

"It's Off the Hook, coming at you LIVE from Inkopolis Square!"

The famous musical duo, Off the Hook appeared on the screen. Pearl sat in her comfortable chair while Marina stood at her DJ Table, ready to drop a beat of needed to be.

"Before we start with our usual battle announcements, we have a special one to make!"

"Oh I just love this one!" Marina said with glee.

"The first ever X Tournament has ended! And we have a winner!" Pearl pumped her fist in the air The screen behind them changed to show a picture of Ruby standing on the Tower covered in the enemy team's ink as she strikes an 'X' pose at the end of a Tower Control match. The picture was enough to cause a massive cheer to break out in the square.

"For a inside scoop on the whole tournament, we go to our on-the-field-"

"-and mostly forgotten-" Marina added.

"News reporter, Nina!"

The Deco Tower screen changes to view a blue tentacled Inkling who looks like she's seen a lot of battles. Though, today the reporter seemed happy and excited about what she has witnessed.

"Thank you Pearl and Marina." The Inkling said as she held her microphone close to her face. "I have seen a lot of tournaments but this tournament was anything but ordinary."

The X Tournament had 20 matches, with each Ranked Battle occurring 5 times. Rank Points were not given after the battle and only awarded at the end of the finals. This kept many squids on their toes since they didn't know how far or how close they were from victory. All competitors were in a mix of emotions during the tournament. Some overconfident, others excited. All expect one..."

"A local battler and 'dark seahorse' of the Tournament named Ruby had shredded the entire competition. She had climbed her way up to Tournament ladder and won the most point, leaving her teammates behind.'

"Eventually once the tournament came down to last eight, only one team could win and only one squid could score the highest point to achieve 'X Rank'. Ruby had pulled off an amazing match, sticking to her N-Zap 83 and dominating the competition."

The screen changes once more to show a small part of the final match. Ruby could be seen in Blackbelly Skatepark taking out three squids before swimming forward while another Inkling throws a Suction Bomb ahead of her. Ruby then jumps and springboard's off of the Suction Bomb before it explodes, using the moment of surprise to take out the starstruck opponent.

She (and her teammates) rushed for the Tower and pushed it towards the end. There was a slight moment where the enemy team ambushed them with a barrage of bombs, but the red tentacled Inkling stood strong as she activated her Ink Armour. Before the bombs could take her out, the whistle had blown as the match ended by Knockout Victory

"By the end of the day, the judges were right in their decision to give Ruby a large amount of points, giving her the highest score and thus winning the tournament."

"Thanks for the info, Nina!"

"All participants may collect a small sum of Super Sea Snails in the Square as a consolation prize." Marina looked towards her co-host to add anything else.

"As for Ruby. That was some fresh battling! Totally off the hook..."

-x-

With the announcement finished, they would go through the normal scheduled battle announcements before ending the broadcast with their signature pose and phrase.

Many waited outside the Deca Tower to congratulate the red tentacled Inkling. She had earned massive respect and was the ultimate winner of the Tournament.

Ruby walked out of the tower to meet the cheering faces of surrounding squids. 'I know my win is a bit exciting but wow...' She was a bit surprised. Sure a pat on the back and a classic 'Good Game' was all that was needed. A adoring group of fans cheering her was something out of the blue.

She slowly walked placed them, keeping a small smile on her face as she moved by. Some asked for autographs while others wanted her to join up with them in a Turf War. She declined to those requests and signed a few shirts (because all of them forgot to bring something to sign on.)

After the excitement was over, Ruby moved away from the crowd and walked over to her friend who sat on a table by Crusty Sean's food truck, the Crust Bucket.

"So, how did it feel to have a mass of fans waiting for you after your epic victory?" Clem asked.

"A bit tiring, but surprising." Ruby asked truthfully. She didn't expect to slip out of the Tower and make it back home without anyone batting an eye but also didn't expect a large crowd to wait for her outside. It was idol-level admiration, something she would see the Squid Sisters or Off the Hook experiencing

Even though being admired by many for her talents was pretty amazing, not even mentioning she had won the biggest tournament up to date, she was still a bit grey about it.

Her career as a Turf War battler would end in a few months. There would be no other Tournament or event expect an occasional Splatfest. And wouldn't those Super Sea Snails be useless in the long run? She would have no use for them after turning 18 and becoming a legal adult.

"Hey why so glum, chum?" The orange tentacled Inkling asked. "You just won the biggest tournament and achieved a rank nobody else was able to reach. You're the best battler in Inkopolis! Doesn't that excite you?

Ruby sighed. "I know it should but..." She thought should could hold onto this information longer but now couldn't anymore. "I'm just sad that this is going to be all over soon. When I turn 18, I won't be able to play Turf Wars anymore, or enjoy Splatfests." Well, she will but only for the music.

Clem then grew a bit worried. However something in her snapped to make her cheer her friend up. "Then at least go out with a bang! You could do whatever you want! Have a Squid Party, Play some games! Do a Salmon Run! Heck you could even work there full time!"

She grabbed her friends hand and held it. "Just...don't be sad. Make the most of it. Remember, I will always be your 'Turf War buddy' even when you're 18."

Ruby was surprised of what Clem had said, and the honestsy in her words. Most of the times, the orange Inkling was just an all-round bubbly squid who was excited over every little thing. Making her seem every innocent and child-like.

But then there were moments like this, where the girl acted mature and said comforting words to her.

Ruby smiled. "Thanks Clem, I really needed that. I'm going to go home now. See ya later..." With that, she got up from the table and walked off.

"...No Ruby, thank you..."

-x-

Walking down Whale Street, Ruby found herself at peace. The sky was slowly turning orange as the sun began to set. The bird that would found all around the street have flown away. A few squddies (squid kids) were found lightly tossing a ball at each other. They waved at the red tentacled Inkling as she moved by with her returning it.

'Such sweet kids...' She mused. The walk back to Moray Towers wasn't far, so she liked to take her time and enjoy the scenery.

It wasn't long before she reached her apartment. She casually walked up the stairs, greeting an Urchin along the way who had finished doing maintenance work on the apartment electrical system. Now she can finally catch-up on watching her favourite comedy: 'The Octo Expansion Theory featuring Squid Sister Callie.

As she was about to reach for her apartment door, her sense heighten as she heard a sound.

THAWP, SPLAT

Ruby had jumped back as she saw black ink hit the door from an angle. She immediately turned around to see a hooded figure with a Roller in their hand.

The first thing she could say was: "What was that for!?"

The figure simply ran down the long passage outside the apartment door and up the stairs. "HEY!" Ruby immediately rushed after them. The figure climbed two flight of stairs before dashing down the passage. The red tentacled Inkling caught up with them and took out her N-ZAP to stop them.

The figure gave a vertical flick with their Roller and land a line of ink on the wall of the building next to this one. Without turning around, the figure jumped at ink and disappeared, presuming turning into a squid to swim up the wall.

Ruby growled and fired some ink at the wall, turning into a squid and jump at the wall to swim up after them.

The figure reached the top the building. They flung out their Roller and began to roll across the roof, covering it in black ink.

Ruby jumped up from the edge of the roof and tried to fire at them, but realized that they were getting away. 'How? How are they moving so fast?' She thought.

The first answer would've been Carbon Roller, but that roller didn't look like it. From the distance they stood away from her to vertically fling ink at her was far, and a Carbon wouldn't be able to do the job.

The Inkling fired a few shots from her N-ZAP to create a trail and swim up towards her. They may be fast, but are they faster than an Inkling who had FOUR Swim Speed Up (Main and three sub) abilities on her sneakers?

Eventually, Ruby was able to catch up with the figure and throw a Suction Bomb ahead of her. Instead of stopping, the hooded figure quickly pole vaulted over her cylinder part of her roller and turned around before pushing onwards.

Ruby had no choice but to jump, turning into a squid halfway before grabbing onto the edge of the figure's hood and pulling it down as she fell to the ground. "Oof!"

"Wow you really are as good as they say..." A voice said. It sounded feminine and it was coming from the figure whose head was exposed.

It was an Octoling. Her tentacles were neatly tied into a ponytail while she wore a pair of fresh-looking goggles on her head. Her skin was a smooth sun-kissed colour, as if her tan was natural and her eyes were a soft sapphire blue.

The most fascinating part of her was the colour of her tenticles. They were black. An astrondinary kind of black. Heck, even the ink she dispersed earlier was the same unique black.

The Inkling was at first surprised, and speechless. She had heard many horror stories and other rumours about Octarians and Octolings. But seeing one in real life was different.

"Squid got your tongue?" She asked. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you or anything. If that's what your thinking."

Immediately, Ruby snapped to attention at that statement. The Octoling didn't really attack her, and only seemed to have provoked her into giving chase and getting all the way over here. It made her feel a bit guilty that she had believed some of those rumours in the back part of her mind.

"Why did try to splat me?" Ruby asked.

"Well I wanted to test your reflexes. See if you're the real deal." The Octoling then smiled. "And you are."

"Uhh...Thanks?"

"Your...Welcome?"

Both stared at each other for a solid ten seconds. It took a moment for the Octoling to realize the awkward pause.

"Ah, stupid, stupid octo.." She muttered to herself, knocking on her forehead softly. "Anyway, I saw you skill and I liked it. I really think you got what it takes to be in the big leagues."

Ruby raised her eyebrow. "Uh, hate to break it to you but I'm almost 18. I don't think I'll be able to do League or Turf anymore."

This made the Octoling laugh a bit. "What's so funny?" The red tentacled Inkling asked.

"This isn't like those two hour leagues Inkopolis offers. This is the biggest, freshest, and most radical league sea-creatures have every made. The Imperial League!"

...

...

"The Imperial-What?"

"It's a year-long league hosted in Aqua City. Inklings and Octolings from all over join in to either participate or watch some of the most amazing battles. The league is mostly invite-only, so only those who get an invite can join. The best part of it, the league expects ages of 14 to 30!"

Ruby was on her feet at that. A league that would allow her to keep splatting? Something that she would enjoy doing for a great portion of her life? That was nothing but heaven to her ears.

But didn't she say the league was invite only?

The Octoling caught that look and smirked, taking out a train ticket and a fresh-looking invitation card to Aqua City's grand tournament: The Imperial League. She handed the two items to the star-struck Inkling

"I expect to see you in Aqua City tomorrow. When you get there, make sure you talk to a lime tentacled Inkling with freckles. That's my old pal, Betty. She'll hook you up with a place to stay for the weekend. Saturday is D-Day, so be sharp on your skills if you want to get accepted into the league.

"Wait accepted? But I thought you said ..."

"The invitation only gets into D-Day. You got to show the judges and the fans your skills and prove your League-Material." The Octoling looked at her watch. It seemed like she was in a rush. "Well I got to go. Remember to met up with my pal, she fill you in on the rest."

And with that, the Octoling Super-Jumped away, landing in some alley far from Moray Towers.

Ruby took one last look at the ticket and invitation.

"Huh...Neat."

 **A/N: And that concludes chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed it because I did while writing it! Expect the delay for the next chapter to be a bit long. I like to take my time and polish this chapter before putting them out there. Should their be any errors, you're free to tell me.**

 **Until then.**

 **Stay Fre-*shot***


	3. Ch 3

**A/N: Hey guys. Nitro with another chapter! Ruby has gotten invited the the marvellous Aqua City by a strange Roller-wielding Octoling. Just who is she? And what is there to be expected of the Imperial League?**

 **I'd also like to thank Nakashima Hatsuharu for being my beta-reader, and fixing a few error and smoothing out the grammer.**

Chapter 3: Aqua City

Ruby was almost finished with packing up her bags, placing another pair of sneakers in said bag before tugging the zipper up, signalling its closure. Now that she was done with everything, the Inkling pulled the strap handles over her shoulder and carried herself out of her apartment.

Clementine had volunteered to look after Ruby's home. She even offered to pay the rent while she was gone. It was something Ruby argued about but was immediately silenced by Clem's finger on her lips. She was quite determined to do this favour for her.

The red tentacled Inkling wanted her best friend to accompany her, but the ticket only accommodated for one person and buying another ticket to Aqua City was expensive. Ruby earned a lot of money from Turf War and Ranked, but even with that she knew that the price of that ticket would deal a powerful blow to her bank account savings.

"I really wish you could come with me, Clem." Ruby said with a sigh. She stood at the door, facing her friend.

"Don't worry Ruby. Just knock 'em dead. I'll try to earn enough money to get a ticket to see you in action." She promised. The orange tentacled Inkling was really determined. Even with her average skills, it wasn't going to stop her from earning the cash for that ticket.

Even if it took her months to do so...

The red Inkling made her way to the train station. It was underground and allowed travel through the vast pools of water that surrounded the cities of this world.

She handed her ticket over to the train conductor before getting on board. There were a few Inklings here and there on the train as well as some Jellyfish, an Anemone and a Sea Snail at the corner.  
The Inkling moved over to a train compartment that lacked any passengers deciding she wanted to be by herself. The trip would take three hours, so that gave her some time to nap and regain some sleep after having to wake up so early for the trip in the first place.

It wasn't long before Ruby slowly dozed off as she made herself comfortable on a triple deck.

-x-

 _"And that's how you fire a weapon." An older Inkling with red tentacles said as he gestured to a target covered in red ink, holding a Splattershot_ __

 _"Wow! That's so cool, Big Brother!" A younger Inkling said, who looked like she was still developing and has yet to have a more human form. "Does that mean I can play turf now?"_ __

 _"Oh no no no."_ _The_ _older Inkling lightly tapped his sister's head. "You're too young to play turf. Besides, I want to make sure you're fully ready when it's your first match."_ __

 _"Aw..."_ _The_ _Inkling looked a bit sad, but then brightened up since her brother only wanted_ _the_ _best for her._ __

 _"Don't worry." He held out his hand to give his sister a thumbs-up. "I'll makes sure you give_ _the_ _pros a run for their money when I'm done training you!"_ __

 _"Yay...!"_ _The_ _Inkling walked with her brother as he left_ _the_ _training room._

 _ **"...**_ _ **The**_ _ **train will arrive at Aqua City in 5 minutes..."**_

A monotonous voice said, waking Ruby from her slumber. She looked around. They weren't in the underground train station of Inkopolis but instead, on a long bridge leading to what looked to be the largest city she has ever seen. Not even Inkopolis could match to its size.

Aqua City wasn't like any normal city. From above, it looked like three smaller cities linked together by bridges in a triangle formation. The name 'Aqua City' came from the legend stating that it was once an enormous island that was flooded due to the centre being slightly below sea level, causing the land to become three separate islands. Instead of leaving the island to wash away, the sea folk of the past built separate sectors on the leftover parts of land and linked them together, making it one large city.

Its design was marvellous, the buildings were taller than the skyscrapers of her home, and had rather charming suburbs from what she can make out at this distance. She was sitting in a moving train after all...

Maybe when she gets off, a look around the city might not hurt.

-x-

The train finally came to halt, stopping at an above-ground train station. It did have large glass roofs to protect people from rain while still giving a great view of the sky above. Ruby got off the train and walked through the station doors.

She was surprised to see a few squids sitting casually outside the train station. Wasn't there like a hub where most Inklings hang out?

'Eh...must be the norm around here.' She thought before spotting one Inkling that didn't quite blend with the others. She had cyan tentacles with cyan tattoos covering her arm, ranging from famous brand symbols to hammers and words in Octarian language. She wore nothing but brown overalls, which gave a clear view of her back; said back being heavily tattooed as well, and black boots. The squid also held a sledge-hammer, something odd to have in the open.

Her clothes weren't really fresh in a sense. More steampunk and retro if anything, yet somehow kept an appealing look. Her eyes had a solid gold colour with her cheeks covered in light freckles. It wasn't long before said squid noticed her staring and face her from where she stood.

"You're Ruby, right?" She asked, looking directly at her. The red Inkling didn't have time to look surprised, but she was caught off guard. Was she talking to her?

"Uh, yes?" Ruby said, trying not to look like a confused squid.

"Hah, good. Luna told me about you." She said, flashing her a warm smile. "Said you won a big tournament in Inkopolis and became the first X Rank champion." She grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. "Nice."

Ruby could guess that 'Luna' was the name of the Octoling she met yesterday.

"Uh...thanks? I'm guessing you're Betty?"

She nodded, resting the hammer's head on her shoulder. "Luna said I should show you around, make sure you get familiar with the area and stuff." Betty explained, walking over to a pickup truck that was parked near the train station. Ruby followed her as they both got into the truck. "So, you're going to show me the entire city?"

"Eh...nope. I'm only going to show you the West District. It's much easier doing that instead." She finished, starting up the truck before driving down the road.

"West District?" Ruby asked in albeit a confused tone.

"Yeah, Aqua City has three major districts. The West District is where we'll be going. The East District is on the right and the North District is far ahead." All three districts were pretty huge, which was why some tourist confused them for separate cities.

"Why aren't you going to show me the other Districts?" The red head wondered.

"Because they just as big as Inkopolis and I'm not going to burn my entire Saturday driving around." Betty stated with a grin.

Soon they reached an overhead sign that read: 'Approaching - West District Oval in 1 kilometre'.

Ruby expected an area similar to that of the Plaza or Square in Inkopolis, but boy was she mistaken. Her eyes almost popped out of her head at the sight of the Oval. It was HUGE!

Unlike the Square or Plaza, there were no roadways, but simply brick covering the entire oval area. Shop of different sizes surrounded the oval expect at the very end where a large space was left open for some unknown reason.

The cyan Inkling drove a bit further, entering the Oval before pointing out to a double-story building. "There." Betty said. "That's my shop."

"You own a shop?"

"Yeah, I build and repair Turf Weapons." She then parked the tuck near the shop and got out. Ruby got out as well and looked up to the building, noticing the logo on top and instantly recognized it.

"Forge?"

Betty looked up and smiled. "Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you about that. My grandad was the co-founder of Forge. Back then we made some pretty decent weapons and had some mighty, fine engineers. Now Forge's been moved to the clothing industry." She then threw her hammer into theair before catching it like it was paperweight.

"It doesn't mean we've stopped perfecting our skills. Some of gramps's veteran weapon engineers are still out there, ready to take back the top position in weapon biz."

She had a sense of confidence about her statement, and she liked it. Forge hasn't been doing much in making Turf Weapons. They walked inside of the building, spotting the same Octoling from yesterday sitting behind the counter with a soda can in her hand.

"Hey, B. I was watching your shop while you were gone." She said, looking at the freckled Inkling.

"You didn't have to do that, Luna. My shop would've been safe as it is.."

"You wouldn't have said that if you were here to see some squids looking around." She said, giving a death stare to an Inkling who's been standing in the Oval for a while, only a few metres from the shop. The stare immediately made him walk off in a hurry to avoid her gaze.

She immediately stopped her disapproving look before looking towards Ruby with a warm smile. "Looks like you finally made it to Aqua City. I'm guessing Betty showed you around the Oval."

This made said Inkling slowly back up in an attempt to flee before she could be caught.

"Uh...no?" Came Ruby's unsure reply.

"Wha...?" Luna responded in shock, immediately turning to face Betty, who was just about to make a break for the stairs until the Octoling vaulted over the counter, seizing the weapon engineer.

"I am so disappointed in you Betty! You should have been a better tour guide and at least show Ruby around!" She reprimanded Betty like an older sister would do to her younger sibling.

"I uhhh ...wasn't feeling like it?" The engineer replied sheepishly.

"You'd better make up for it later!" Luna held her by her ear

"OW- Ok! OKAY! I'll show her around." Betty said, mildly uncomfortable with her ear being tugged on like that.

"No. Since you didn't do it, I'll go do it myself!" She said, dropping Betty from her grip and walked off with her nose in the air. "Come, Ruby. I'll show you around."

Betty blinked at the two before laying her head against the floor, gaining a dreadful expression on her face. "I'm in the dog box again..."

-x-

Ruby had to keep herself from letting out an amused chuckle when the cyan Inkling was scolded by Luna. The Octoling walked towards the centre of the Oval before turning to face her with a smile. Just how can she go from 'friendly Octoling' to 'disappointed older sister' so quickly?

"Well, as you know, this is the West District Oval. To your left, you'll find May's restaurant. She serves the best meals out there." Ruby looked to see a Sea Snail at the counter, talking to a customer while a few jellyfish went to the back to prepare the orders.

"Next to the restaurant is the 'All-In-One Fresh Shop'. It's a shop that sells the freshest of tops, hottest shoes and head-turning headgear!" The Octoling said, grinning at the play of words she just did.

Ruby just stared in awe. "How can someone maintain a shop that big?" She asked. A shop like that would be quite difficult to manage and run, and the AIO Fresh Shop was indeed bigger than any other shop Ruby have ever come across, having not one, but two floors.

"The manager is really good and has plenty of hands- err tentacles on the job!" Luna said with a shit-eating grin, showing her fanged teeth. That grin told the Inkling there was another meaning to her words, but decided it was best to leave the topic untouched.

Next, Luna led the X-Rank champ to the large space next to the Oval. There were a few trucks standing there, with a bunch of macho killer whales jumping out of theback of the truck and helping each other carry large equipment towards the center.

"This.. is where the first event of the Imperial League takes place." The Octoling gestured to the entire space with tarmac surface. " The movers will set up the stage for the hosts."

Ruby thought for a moment. Hosts? Like the Squid Sisters? Or Off the Hook? Man she would be excited if it was the Squid Sister making their return to the spotlight in Aqua City tomorrow.

Luna saw the look on Ruby's face and grinned. "I know what you're thinking." The Octoling said. "And it's neither the Squid Sisters nor is it Off The Hook. They're the best DJs around, and everyone in Aqua City loves their music. I'm sure you'll love them too." Luna said with confidence.

A new musical duo, and both of them were DJs? The Inkling wasn't so sure about that. In her opinion nothing could top DJ Marina's fresh beats. She'll have to see...

-x-

It was a good hour or three before the duo made it back to Betty's shop. The sun has already set after they had returned and it was starting to get dark; the lamp posts lighting up the place. The Inkling had prepared them a big supper, and they with a healthy appetite. The engineer's cooking skills were surprisingly good, considering she spends most of her time building or repairing weapons.

After supper, Betty showed Ruby to where she would be sleeping. It had a bed, a TV, a drawer with a few random clothing and other accessories inside.

"Sorry for the mess, Luna normally sleeps here." Betty said apologetically.

"Normally?" Ruby asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah. She hangs over here once in a while before she goes back to her hotel suite several blocks from here."

Ruby wasn't even going to ask how Luna could afford a hotel suite. She must be rolling in with some seriously deep pockets. Either she had a good paying job or she was really good in Turf Wars.

The red Inkling placed her bags down by the bedside before loosening her tenta-hair from its ponytail tie before dressing into comfortable sleepwear. Tomorrow was her debut in the Imperial League. She had to make it count and she had to show them who's boss.

With a small yawn, Ruby turned off the lights and climbed into the bed.

"Good night...Don."

 **A/N: And that concludes our third chapter! Now that Ruby's been introduced to Aqua City and the West District, she's prepared to make her debut on the Imperial League's first event of the season: D-Day.**

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 **See ya!**


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